Royal Artillery Brigades

[lorry53]

I've found what may be my grandfather's WWI army record and it shows his brigade as Mn FA Bde. I've snipped the area showing this on the original form and it's here. I assume FA stands for Field Artillery, but does anyone have any idea what the Mn stands for? He was a miner, which I thought was a reserved occupation, but maybe not and the Mn relates to this?

[margaretmarch]

They might have needed miners skills for tunnelling and such so some needed, also a lot of men enlisted rather than be conscripted so whatever their occupation they went voluntarily and would not have been sent away I don't suppose.
Margaret

[Christine in Herts]

I had a look at that image. The bit that's been interpreted as "Mn" looks like "Miner" to me. On my screen, it seems that there are traces of other letters there - and certainly the room for the whole word.

Christine

[Uncle John]

The first bit looks like 2/3, which could be 2nd/3rd Company or Battalion. And I think it's likely that F A stands for Field Artillery. I think it's much more likely that he's a gunner than a miner. Miners were in the Royal Engineers.

[Christine in Herts]

The first bit looks like 2/3, which could be 2nd/3rd Company or Battalion. And I think it's likely that F A stands for Field Artillery. I think it's much more likely that he's a gunner than a miner. Miners were in the Royal Engineers.

I must say that I thought the combination of Miner & Artillery seemed unusual... but I forgot to say so!

Christine

[lorry53]

Thank you, all. I thought the Mn was Miner, too, Christine. I just wish I'd been old enough to ask him when he was alive. Oh well.

[annswabey]

Is there a Medal Card for him? Worth looking at, just to confirm regiment although it probably won't give the specific unit.

[grumpy]

Looks more like Btn (Battalion) rather than MN. If you give his name and army serial number, can look up his medal card

David

[lorry53]

Is there a Medal Card for him? Worth looking at, just to confirm regiment although it probably won't give the specific unit.

I haven't found one yet.

ETS: I just found it. It says RFA - Royal Field Artillery.

Looks more like Btn (Battalion) rather than MN. If you give his name and army serial number, can look up his medal card

David

Could be, but I found the same info a little clearer on the document. His name was Joseph Ord and the number shown on the attestation is 2285, but I don't know his full service number.

ETS: 2285, 760727

[grumpy]

Lorry53,
The medal card and service history documents for your man (Joseph Ord 2285) are available on Ancestry.

If you do not have access to Ancestry send me a PM and can take it from there.

Incidentally his service docs says he was attested into the Northumbrian F. A. so I feel that the abbreviation is
actually NM rather that MN

David

[lorry53]

Lorry53,
The medal card and service history documents for your man (Joseph Ord 2285) are available on Ancestry.

If you do not have access to Ancestry send me a PM and can take it from there.

Incidentally his service docs says he was attested into the Northumbrian F. A. so I feel that the abbreviation is
actually NM rather that MN

David

Thanks, David, I updated my post after I found his medal card at Ancestry. I'm beginning to think this may not be him, but the address shown on the attestation document is the same mining village he lived in all his life, so it's a bit of a coincidence. I'll keep digging!